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Date: 23 September 2020
Dear parents and guardians,
This is an important letter to share some information on how we can work together to make sure we can continue to give children and young people the best education in the safest way possible.
One important part of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of pupils, students, parents and our communities is testing for coronavirus. We all have a duty to make sure that the right people have access to get tested at the right time. Every time a test is used inappropriately, a person with COVID-19 symptoms may miss out on getting tested.
Therefore, I ask that you all follow these principles:
you should only book a test if your child has any of these 3 coronavirus symptoms:
No one else in the same class or bubble as the symptomatic person needs to take any action unless advised by the school or college. Schools and colleges have detailed guidance and access to a Department for Education and Public Health England helpline for advice and support.
Contacts of a person who has tested positive must follow the guidance carefully and in full, which means they must stay at home for 14 days. This is because it can take several days following contact with an infected person before an individual develops symptoms or the virus can be detected. Students should only book a test if they get symptoms.
The NHS has produced some guidance to help parents understand when their child can and cannot attend school which you may find useful.
It is vital for children and young people’s learning and future opportunities that they are able to return to school and college. It is therefore vitally important that all we work together and do our bit to make this possible.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Viv Bennett CBE
Chief Nurse and Director Maternity and Early Years, Public Health England
Dr Susan Hopkins
Interim Chief Medical Officer, NHS Test & Trace
Deputy Director, Public Health England
Consultant in Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, Royal Free, London
Common cold and COVID-19 symptoms?
We know that parents and schools are finding it difficult to work out which symptoms warrant testing for COVID-19. We acknowledge that this is not straightforward, and it is a really challenging time for parents and schools.
It is common for colds and similar viral infections to circulate across communities at this time of year. In many cases, children will be well enough to attend school and continue their learning with little or no interruption to their education. It is important to ensure that children are not unnecessarily kept away from school and exposed to inappropriate testing for COVID-19.
COVID-19 symptoms
If your child (or anyone in the household) has any of the main coronavirus symptoms listed below they need to self-isolate and get a test.
Common cold symptoms
Children with simple cold symptoms such as a runny nose or sore throat or a mild cough without a fever who would normally have attended school in other times should go to school and do not be tested for COVID-19.
COVID-19 (coronavirus) absence:
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A quick guide for parents / carersWhat to do if… |
Action needed |
Back to school… |
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…my child has COVID-19 (coronavirus) symptoms* |
•Child shouldn’t attend school •Child should get a test •Whole household self-isolates while waiting for test result •Inform school immediately about test results
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…when child’s test comes back negative |
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…my child tests positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus) |
•Child shouldn’t attend school •Child self-isolates for at least 10 days from when symptoms* started (or from day of test if no symptoms) •Inform school immediately about test results •Whole household self-isolates for 14 days from day when symptoms* started (or from day of test if no symptoms) -even if someone tests negative during those 14 days
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…when child feels better, and has been without a fever for at least 48 hours They can return to school after 10 days even if they have a cough or loss of smell / taste. These symptoms can last for several weeks once the infection is gone. |
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…somebody in my household has COVID-19 (coronavirus) symptoms* |
•Child shouldn’t attend school •Household member with symptoms should get a test •Whole household self-isolates while waiting for test result •Inform school immediately about test results
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…when household member test is negative, and child does not have COVID-19 symptoms* |
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…somebody in my household has tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus) |
•Child shouldn’t attend school •Whole household self-isolates for 14 days from day when symptoms* started (or from day of test if no symptoms) -even if someone tests negative during those 14 days
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…when child has completed 14 days of self-isolation, even if they test negative during the 14 days |
Schools have been sent ten (10) home-testing Covid kits, which we have already given out to families who needed them. From today we are able to access another ten (10) once the Department for Education send us a code to use, but this has not yet arrived. Once we receive these extra home-testing kits we won't be sent any more until 21 days have passed.
Once we have given out these tests we cannot access any more until the next delivery arrives, which will be at least three weeks. I wish that we had tests for everyone but unfortunately they will not send any school more than ten at a time.
Recent information suggests that once you book a test and are sent a QR code you can take this to any test centre, not just the one you booked at. I have not tried this myself to check if it is correct but is worth a try. Walk-in test centres are also available in North Tyneside.
Please only get people tested if they are showing the following symptoms:
North Tyneside like all other areas across the North East has seen significantly increasing rates of infection over the last few weeks and there is now widespread community transmission of the virus.
Working closely with North Tyneside Council and Public Health England the school continues to ensure that we operate safely, and that we minimise the spread of the virus. This includes maintaining high standards of hygiene inside and outside classroom settings, grouping children in ‘bubbles’ and maintaining social distancing where ever possible.
As parents or carers, you can support the endeavours to help control the virus in North Tyneside by adhering to the national restrictions, maintaining social distancing and good hand hygiene.
We are also asking that you please keep your child at home if anyone else in the household is suspected of having or has had a positive test for COVID-19, or if your child has any of the following symptoms of Covid-19:
· A fever – this means hot to the touch on the chest or back
· A continuous cough - a dry cough and coughing a lot for over an hour with more than 3 episodes per day
· Loss or change of taste and smell - this means no smell or taste, or things smell or taste different to normal
It is important that the whole household self isolates until anyone in the household with symptoms get tested as soon as any symptoms start to occur via www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119. Only people with symptoms should get tested.
If the test is positive the person will need self isolate for 10 days, the rest of the household for 14 days.
The action we will take in school if a member of staff or a pupil has a positive test result for COVID-19 is as follows
o As soon as we are informed of the positive test result, we will carry out a risk assessment with Public Health colleagues to identify any other children or staff who may have been a close contact with the confirmed case.
o If your child is not identified as a close contact of the confirmed case we will contact you to tell you that you do not need to make any change to your usual routine and that it is safe for your child to continue to attend school.
o If your child is identified as having been in close contact with the confirmed case we contact you and ask you to keep your child at home to self-isolate for 14 days, in line with government guidance. Your child DOES NOT need to be tested. Other members of your household or contacts of your child DO NOT need to self isolate and can continue normal activities. If your child does develop symptoms while self isolating then the household should self isolate and the child should get a test.
The evidence from the Chief Medical Officer is very clear that the balance of risk is strongly in favour of children attending school and that serious illness or deaths in children and teenagers from Covid-19 are extremely rare. Therefore, it is really important that all children continue to attend school or college (unless asked to self-isolate) for their educational progress, for their wellbeing and for their wider development.
As a school, it will remain at our discretion to ask for pupils to be collected if they are showing any of the main symptoms so that we can protect the rest of our school community as best as possible. Thank you.
Reminder of the process we have to follow if a child is ill.
Covid symptoms:
If a child (or adult) has Covid symptoms they must self-isolate at home and book a test. The rest of their household must also self-isolate until those results come back. The rest of the household do not need to take a test unless they also have symptoms of their own.
If the result is negative the household doesn't need to self-isolate any more and can go back to school/work immediately. The ill person can return to school/work when they feel well enough.
If the result is positive, the ill person must continue to self-isolate for 10 days from when the symptoms started or two days before the test was taken if they have no symptoms. The rest of the household must self-isolate for 14 days in case symptoms emerge. They then must book a test if they develop symptoms themselves.
NHS111 are available to give advice and NHS119 is the number to call to book a test.
While your child is isolating they will be sent work to complete at home. This will be via email where possible or we can arrange for it to be posted if this is better for you. Work will also be posted on your child's class page on our website.
If your child presents any of these symptoms while they are in school they will be moved away from other children into a safe space with a first-aider and you will be called to collect your child as soon as possible. If you are unable to collect your child you will need to arrange for someone else to collect them.
As always, give us a call if we can help you in any way. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we all work together to keep our school community as safe as possible.
As we sell our pre-owned uniform over the next few days please note that once it has gone it's gone. Mostly they are donations by other parents as their child has grown out of them or they have moved to a different key stage. Be aware that we have lots of red jumpers/cardigans for KS1 and lots of blazers for KS2 now but we have tried to arrange them in size order where possible so it is easier for you. There is also lots of lost property for you to reclaim too...please come and rummage so you can find what belongs to your family.
Please remember to socially distance when you queue outside in the KS2 yard and adults to wear a mask when they come in. Only one family will be able to enter at a time so it is safer for us all. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this.
Y3 and Y5 have had a fantastic time completing some Commando Joe's tasks this afternoon. Look out later on our Twitter feed for some amazing photographs.
All classes from Reception to Y6 will be completing Commando Joe's missions very soon and we will have 'Mission Mondays' for pupils to get a challenge they have to solve. Some will also bring a homework task home too, e.g. making a fort at home, so please remember to tag us and Commando Joe's in on your Twitter and Facebook photos so we can see how brilliantly they are doing.
Remember that we have school Twitter and Facebook pages where we post quick messages and some photographs of activities during the day. We love it when parents and carers respond to let us know when they like things or to share things that their children have done at home.
We will soon have to ask you again to complete the data protection form for your permission to share your child's photograph on our social media pages of them taking part in learning activities. We will only show faces of those who send written permission and will never post the full name. If you have any questions or concerns about this please get in touch via telephone 0191 6053407 or via office@wallsendstpeters.org.uk
Thank you
I have received an update today from Public Health England about when and who should be tested. I have summarised it below for your information:
The Department for Education has worked closely with Public Health England (PHE) and NHS Test and Trace to ensure that they are doing all they can to minimise the potential risks of spread. A key part of this is testing to help identify people who are positive and then inform their contacts. They have made testing available throughout the country and anyone with symptoms can book a test online or over the telephone through 119 to get the certainty they need to protect themselves and those around them.
Their aim is that everyone with coronavirus symptoms has access to a test as soon as they develop those symptoms. However, if you do not have symptoms you should not have a test.
If someone feels unwell they need to get tested if:
If someone develops one or more of the main coronavirus symptoms described above, only they should be tested. There is no need for their households to have a test, unless they also have symptoms. You must also be tested if instructed by the local authority, health protection team or your GP.
As schools return, children may feel unwell for example with a sore throat, stomach upset or a headache. These pupils don’t need to book a test but may need to stay off school or college and seek medical advice through their GP or pharmacist as usual. Please telephone or email us with the reason for your child being absent. Thank you.